


RitsuMao Week: Extra-Short Stories

by rabits_chan



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: How Do I Tag, I Can't Believe I Wrote This, I Tried, M/M, What Have I Done, Why Did I Write This?, You're Welcome, im doing cause i can
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-23
Updated: 2019-04-28
Packaged: 2020-01-24 07:44:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 2,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18566971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rabits_chan/pseuds/rabits_chan
Summary: For RitsuMao Week, and because I love Ritsu.





	1. Dreams and Nostalgia

**Author's Note:**

> Ultimate ritsumao week hype lets go >:33333

Night.

For ten or so hours, it is the entirety and truth of this world.

In in the short span of time, it is the small interval where Ritsu Sakuma can and is allowed to live. The only time he has energy, and can think clearly without his sleep getting interrupted. The only time he can reminisce about his past experiences and silly childhood events.

Latter, not really. His childhood was special to him. If he never had one, and only lived in the shadows of the world around, he might as well have never gone to school at all, or met his precious Maa-kun he so loved.

Still, he didn't understand. Why Mao Isara, who he'd known for so long, decided to make friends with him. Ritsu was an antisocial boy already, so why should he get along with and even be spoiled by a boy such as Mao? Now, those kinds of thoughts he'd never know the answer to. Perhaps one day, he would, but even now he was still too young to know, why people spend time with other people.

That didn't matter though. He was glad to have met his Maa-kun, and hoped, that perhaps in return, Mao was glad to have met his Ritchan.

As night is the entirety of the world above and below,

Maa-kun was the entirety of Ritchan's world, forever and ever.


	2. A Song for You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mao and Ritsu have some balcony talk.

Mao Isara could not sleep. Mostly because Ritsu was playing his piano at midnight.

_Please, Ritsu,_ he thought,  _people are trying to sleep._ So Mao got up, sick of lying in his bed doing nothing, eyes wide awake; and walked onto his balcony. It was rather small, but close enough to Ritsu's to reach him with his voice. Across the short span of distance separating them, across to hear him...!

"Maa-kun, I know you're there."

"But can you please not play your piano?"

Okay, that was more blunt than expected. But he got his point across, at least. Still, he told himself that maybe he shouldn't be so direct with the boy named Ritsu Sakuma, ever so pretty and sensitive. And he had to protect that.

"Maa-kun, what are you doing so late at night~?" "You heard me." Ritsu stopped played, pouted a little, and then smiled as he walked out onto his balcony to meet Mao. "Wow, I do a lot for you, I even gave up one of my hobbies for you. You're so spoiled, and I'm such a great child hood friend, ahaha~" Mao's expression at this rate radiated absolute confusion at the boy's logic. Somehow, the tables had turned on him since who knows when. " _I'm_ spoiled? Well, whatever you say, Ritsu."

"Maa-kun," Ritsu's voice echoed across. "I was thinking a little. Why did you choose to be friends with someone like me...?" Mao thought hard, eyes fixated on his childhood friend. 

"Well, because I wanted to.  Is there any more reason?" He watched as the dark-haired boy in front of his stared into him, like he was analyzing everything about him, or perhaps simply lost in thought. "...A reason called destiny," Ritsu said, in the silence of the night. "There's no way such a wonderful person like you would make friends with me otherwise.

"We are alike in almost no way. You are the day to my night, and vice versa. But at the same time, I suppose that's what brings us together as two halves of one." "I have absolutely no idea what you said but okay," Mao replied to no one, maybe. He wasn't sure if Ritsu was caught up in his own analysis of the world, or was listening. Both were probably the same.

"Maa-kun. Reach out for my hand." "What?"

From the place he was looking, a faint but visible outline of Ritsu's smile in the darkness as he stretched his hand towards him. "Reach, Maa-kun." It was midnight, Mao should've been sleeping, but now he was stuck here, talking to his childhood friend for, maybe twenty minutes. Even so, he reached out. Their fingertips connected, truly two parts of one. Mao acknowledged this, and admitted to himself that Ritsu was part of, if not the whole reason he was happy, now and forever.

"Hey, Maa-kun. I'll play quieter, and as long as you're sleeping I'm happy. So, have some rest. Your Ritchan will sing you a lullaby if you'd like."

To which Mao agreed.

 


	3. Fate and the Red String that Binds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ritsu's lovely thoughts reach Mao, maybe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at how late this is hgjdhf  
> enjoy tho!

Mao Isara was having a sleepless night again.

Not because Ritsu was playing his piano, but rather they each had a red string tied to their little fingers, although it was more like they were directly connected by a thin red thread. Although the latter had probably not intended it that way, it was more awkward than it should've been. Still, lingering in the air was a faint sense of comfort and connect...

Ritsu wasn't asleep, he passed out. Mao didn't know if he was enjoying it or not.

As most people knew, red strings were symbolic of the intertwined fate of two people. A legend, a myth, an  _imaginary_ red string. Mao knew that, but he wasn't sure if his childhood friend took it seriously or not. Probably, he did.  _Well, wrong idea, Ritsu. It's not a literal red string._

" _...A reason called destiny,_ " Ritsu had said the night before. Well, destiny didn't exist. Mao would've known that and wanted to believe that if it had not been more wrong than it was supposed to. Fate truly did exist. Maybe, yes, Ritsu met him because he wanted to and it happened, but...

Perhaps fate had truly tied a red string between them. Perhaps, Ritsu and Mao were supposed to be together by some magnetic, unknown force.

_Well, then. If we're truly meant to be together, does that we we should look out for each other or...?_

_Yes, yes that's probably it. We'll be together, like lights in a starless sky. With each other, for each other._

And Mao fell asleep.


	4. In this Garden of Glass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ritsu and Mao have a nice afternoon sharing thoughts. And tea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im sorry lantis  
> also IM SORRY IM LATE IM NOT DOING THIS ON PURPOSE

“I shouldn’t be doing this. Ever.”

So said Mao. It was maybe three in the afternoon, and in the Yumenosaki garden were Mao and Ritsu, sitting and having tea, although the former didn’t exactly seem to be enjoying it much.

I mean, he wasn’t to fault. This was Ritsu’s idea, so Mao had no part in this whatsoever.  But maybe, just maybe, his (possibly-vampire) childhood friend could understand that he shouldn’t need him so often...? After all, people need personal space in all forms.

“Whaat~! Said no one ever!” Ritsu whined. “I just did,” Mao replied, slight annoyed. _I mean, I could spend my time here. But well, not all the time._ “Ritsu, I have better things to do. At this point, I might as well be doing student council work. At the very least, I can’t be here for long.”

 _Well, damn,_ Mao thought after seeing Ritsu’s disappointed face that followed. _I guess I messed up, but I can_ _’_ _t spoil him forever._

_Well, I can_ _’_ _t win pitted against that face of his, either...!_

"...Fine," Mao finally breathed out a sigh. "I'll stay. Jeez, I spoil you a lot." Surprise turned to ecstasy as Ritsu rushed to cuddle up beside Mao "Yaaay~"

And then, a sneeze as tea spilled everywhere. "Achoo!... O-Oh, I'm sorry, Ritsu. It's just, well you know.-"

And after that, a tissue, a hug, and love. "Don't worry, Maa-kun. I already know."

"Oh, and plus, I'll clean up the tea. Enjoy yourself and relax for a bit~"


	5. A Bridge Between the Day and the Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ritsu thinks about sad things, and cries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to stop listening to kagepro songs while writing this like fhsjhf

As the sunset faded, so did Ritsu’s heart.

So many things had happened over the past week. Granted, it wasn’t over, but ideas were shared, moments were spent together with Mao. It only comes to show that in reality, time flies by quickly.

But in this story, there is a single end. One day, they’d be separated for good.

Not always is the time where they can be childhood friends forever, always connected and sharing memories. As much as he hated to admit it, he and Mao would one drift apart, to each of their own, separate lives. That was hard to bear with. But fate is a, unpredictable, changing force. Perhaps they would stay together forever, but that chance was slim.

Would fate give in to his pleas? Ritsu didn’t understand at all. The fact he knew nothing scared him.

He heard the same voice and saw the same view every day with Mao. He didn’t care much for it until now. These happiness-filled days were soon ending. He wished to spend every day with him, but, alas, this is reality.

And so, until he blinked, silent but powerful tears fell from his face and trickled down his cheeks, glistening in the evening sun, fading away. Sunset is where the truths of the day light meet the lies of the night. It is where into the coming oblivion of night, a bridge is created for a moment, and then crumbles as darkness becomes the eternity of this world. The eternity of Ritsu’s world. But Mao Isara was nowhere to be seen.

He hoped his eyes were just closed.


	6. "Ensemble"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ritsu wakes up somewhere. Everything's fuzzy, but he can see faint outlines...

He wasn’t sure if this was an imaginary world.

Did he pass out? Probably not. It was maybe nine at night. Surely he’d be awake. But Ritsu’s eyes fluttered open, and looking around, at first thought was the typical “where am I?!”. But as his head cleared, so did his vision.

A pair of emerald-green eyes, meeting his crimson ones. _Mao,_ he thought. _I_ _’_ _m in Mao_ _’_ _s room. How long has it been since I_ _’_ _ve been in here, anyway?_

“You alright, Ritsu?” Mao asked, his expression conveying worriedness. “I’m okay,” Ritsu responded, sitting up. He could feel the tears dried on his eyes and cheeks.

“You didn’t _look_ okay,” Mao pointed out, then literally pointing at Ritsu’s eyes. “I found you in the middle of the sidewalk, unconscious, and probably crying. You can stay at my place for tonight-” “I’m fine, really.” Ritsu stood up quickly and was about to leave when his childhood friend cut him off. “Hold it.”

“What happened to you, anyway?”

Ritsu froze in place. He didn’t know how to respond to that. What if he messed up? What if, because he answered, he risked their relationship? That would be dangerous. He couldn’t bear to lose his reason for living.

He collapsed. Sounds, pictures, blurring out in front of him. The obscure figure of Mao was in front of him. Was he choking? Ritsu wasn’t dying, obviously. Was this shock? Heartache? He didn’t know. It was scary, to not know. But, what was even scarier was...

“...I don’t want to lose you, Maa~kun,” Ritsu finally breathed out. “It’s inevitable. One day, we’ll lose each other in our own life. The other day, you wanted to do something else, but I insisted you stay with me. I’ve just been spoiled. No way can we be connected forever-”

“Well, that’s stupid.”

...

“Ritsu, listen for a bit. ‘No way can we be connected forever’, and I quote you, said no one ever. Remember when we did that band ensemble with UNDEAD?” A silent nod from Ritsu, and Mao carried on. “I hope you know what that means.”

The day Ritsu got mad at Mao, and the days following. No way could he ever forget that. What it meant, though...? Nothing. It was a fight that got fixed. Or maybe the name? “Ensemble” meant together, right?

... _Together._

No matter how big of a fight, or how distant they’d be, they’d always be together.

Sensing the boy’s understanding, Mao smiled. “So you get it,” he said, and quickly kissed Ritsu’s forehead; light, but still felt by the heart. A faint smile led to a quiet laugh from Ritsu’s mouth. “So, Maa~kun won’t leave me, after all…?” “Of course. No matter how far apart we may be...”

“Ritchan will never be lost.”


	7. Ritsu's Wish (Epilogue)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ritsu's thoughts for a happy end.

_One day, I had a dream._

_I dreamed about the time when Knights fell apart._

_Ousama was angry, and so was Secchan. Nacchan and I couldn’t do anything about it then. No one was there to help or support us, so we just waited until it was over. And it is over, only not in the way we wanted._

_And I closed my eyes. I didn’t cry but I was scared. And then my dream changed._

_I dreamed about that day, when Maa~kun and I met._

_Small, green eyes peering, piercing into mine. I didn’t understand back then, the feeling I felt._

_When our eyes met, it was a good feeling… I knew it was more, but I didn’t know better. I think I understand now, the feeling of love, and how to do it. Less like “destiny”, and more like a mutual emotion between two people._

_Perhaps, this feeling could fix Knights. It could fix broken relationships between two people..._

_After all, Maa~kun healed my lost and broken heart, and filled it with nice things with it._

_But, well._

_Stories come to a close. All of them do at some point, it’s obvious._

_But, not all end the way you’d expect them to. Maybe in a world, if I wished hard enough, it would come true._

_Maybe this story would end where Maa~kun and his Ritchan could be together forever._

_“Ensemble”._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> omg lateness catastrophe anyway i hope you liked my extra short stories ! thanks again!


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